Armed attacker kills three children and teacher at Oregon elementary school

A gunman opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three pupils and a teacher before being shot dead by an armed passerby, police announced.

Armed attacker kills three children and teacher at Oregon elementary school

A gunman opened fire at an elementary school in Bend, Oregon, on Thursday, killing three pupils and a teacher before being shot dead by an armed passerby, police announced.

The victims were aged five, eight, and eleven. Another seven-year-old child and a 54-year-old educator from Silver Rail Elementary were rushed to hospital with injuries considered life-threatening, Bend Police Chief Mike Krantz said during a press conference.

The suspect, a 16-year-old local resident, apparently acted alone and used a long gun to force his way through locked doors into the building, according to investigators. It remains unknown whether he had any connection to the school or knew his victims.

A witness who saw the armed individual enter the campus followed him inside and ultimately opened fire. When emergency crews reached the scene several minutes after the first emergency call, the attacker was already dead.

The initial 911 report came from a motorist who said an armed person had fired at his vehicle. Dozens of additional callers soon reported that the same suspect had entered the school and begun shooting inside. A large contingent of first responders converged on the site.

Silver Rail Elementary enrolls roughly 400 to 450 students. Bend, situated in central Oregon, is home to more than 100,000 residents.

The United States continues to grapple with persistent gun violence. Data analyzed by CNN indicates that at least 52 firearm incidents have occurred in American schools this year, leaving at least 28 people dead and 48 wounded.

Source: LRT

Source: LRT